In what was considered an active village election on Tuesday, March 18, incumbent Village Trustee Debbie Middlebrook (D) and former North East town Supervisor Dave Sherman (R) won their bids to serve on the Village Board. Former North East Town Clerk Nancy Davis Vialpando (D) did not succeed, but the race between second and third place was a close one. The final tallies had Middlebrook ahead with 114 votes, Sherman in second place with 84 votes and Vialpando in third place with 82 votes, but those results didn’t come easy.After the initial numbers were read, Vialpando asked for a recount.“I did,” she said. “It was so close that I felt I had to do some due diligence to be sure.”The county Board of Elections immediately tended to the situation and worked to confirm the results. Vialpando said the process was quick.“The machine was sealed, they opened it, read the back and it jived with everything that was read the night of the election,” she said. “And here we are.”The election was held at the Millerton Nutrition Site adjacent to Village Hall. Roughly 32 percent of the village’s registered voters made it to the polls — not a bad number for such a small election, according to the candidates.“I was very pleased with the turnout and excited with the participation from the village,” said Middlebrook. “I really was very happy that this many residents came out to vote. I think that shows a great deal of interest of what is going on in our community.”“It’s a close-knit town; I live right in the village,” said Richard Preti, who moved to Millerton from the Bronx 12 years ago. “The people in charge are doing a really good job. To me, that’s why it’s important to vote for them, for what they say and what they do. It’s all for the good of the town.”That’s exactly the kind of support that makes serving on the Village Board worthwhile to its members, said Middlebrook. The top vote-getter said she was gratified with the election results on a personal level, too.“I was pleased that the public had that much confidence in me to vote for me and support me and I would like to thank everybody that came out and voted — I really appreciate it,” Middlebrook said, “and I hope that I can continue to live up to those expectations.”One of the first items of business the trustee said she’ll address after returning to the board table will be moving the village’s recreation program to Rudd Pond. She and fellow Trustee Christine Bates have been working on the project, and Middlebrook said she’s “excited to do that and have the children be in a park setting that’s such a wonderful natural resource.” As always, she added, she’ll continue to work on village infrastructure, focusing on repairing and replacing damaged sidewalks.Trustee-elect Sherman said he, too, is appreciative of the voters who came out to support him. He said it was gratifying after spending so much time in the community talking about issues that matter to local residents.“Candidates go around and make their appeals to voters in the community and it’s that which drives people to come out and vote,” Sherman added. “I think if that were lacking you might wind up with lighter results.”Races without multiple candidates also contribute to low voter turnout, he said. But the veteran politician described this year’s election as “healthy” and encouraging.“It’s something that you appreciate the fact that people did come in and cast their vote for you,” Sherman said. Since they did, he’s readying himself for village business following the board’s organizational meeting on Monday, April 7.“Right now they’re still in the budget process and will be through the month of April, so I will be getting acquainted with that,” he said. “I’ve been attending workshops to keep apprised of what’s happening.”He’s also keeping up-to-date on other village issues, including the latest controversy in the village Water Works and Highway Department, with the resignations of water operators Larry and Steve Merwin.“I think everybody on the board will have to wait and see what the final shape will be and how the service will be provided, and I hope the Village Board won’t want to rush into things and that it will take its time in how it wants to provide those services,” Sherman said. “I’d talk with the town, too, to see how to provide the best benefit to the community at the least cost. And that’s just my observation as far as what I’m seeing of what’s going on there already, and I think it’s a good way of approaching it.”For her part, Vialpando said she, too, was pleased with the election and added it’s inspired her to become more active in the political process.“Everybody worked really hard,” she said, “and I was actually surprised it was so close. In these small towns every vote counts. I’m going to continue to go to Village Board meetings and try to remain as involved as much as I can.”Both trustee seats are for two-year terms that begin on April 1. The trustee positions come with an annual salary of $3,001.33.
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One systemic consequence of slavery is the loss and obscuring of the histories of those who were enslaved. Records were often not kept about where Africans had been stolen from or who they were related to. Families were torn apart, leaving nothing but the faintest traces of the past. The delineation point, where genealogists can no longer trace histories back, is refered to this as the “document wall.”
Today, 250 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence and more than 160 years since the Emancipation Proclamation, there is a growing effort to restore some of the history stripped from enslaved people and their descendants. Among the leaders of these efforts is Mills, president of the Alex Breanne Corporation, a nonprofit organization that works to identify previously anonymous Black Americans from history and connect them with their living relatives.
The work began with Mills’ sister, who started digging into their family’s past in the 1990’s and introduced him to this emerging world of genealogy. Through that process, the Mills family discovered their great-great-grandfather, Ned Mills, who had been enslaved in Texas. His last name came from his final enslaver and remains the family surname. Through their research, they found that the document wall directly affected their ancestor, who learned of his liberation on June 19, 1865, now commemorated as Juneteenth.
“For the first time,” Mills writes on his website, “American slavery wasn’t something that had happened to anonymous people in a history book. It had happened to my family.”
The discovery gave Mills a familial pride he had been missing for years. That pride fueled his desire to help others find their own history. In 2023, Mills received his certificate in genealogical research from Boston University. He has used his expertise to help descendants of enslaved people uncover histories they never dreamed of learning.
To do this, he uses a process called “reverse genealogy,” identifying a person from the past and working forward to discover their descendants. Along the way, Mills has found some remarkable people who fought for freedom on American soil, some of whom were never freed.
Pay Bill for Robin Starr’s service in the Continental Army.Courtesy the Alex Breanne Corporation
At the Cornwall Historical Society event, Mills will present the stories of four Connecticut families: Job Lathrop of Norwich, the son of Pirmus Armes, about whom Mills has published a book; Prince Mortimer of Middletown, also the subject of a book by Mills;, the three sons of London Wallace of Simsbury; and Robert “Robin” Starr of Danbury, who later lived in Cornwall and Sharon.
A few years ago, Cornwall Consolidated School social studies teacher Will Vincent reached out to Mills for research guidance on a local history project his students were undertaking. Together, they learned about Naomi Freeman of Cornwall. After purchasing an acre of land on Great Hollow Road in 1828, Naomi Freeman became the first Black female landowner in Cornwall.
The students petitioned the town to rename a road after the historic Cornwall resident In April 2025, Great Hollow Road was officially renamed Naomi Freeman Historic Road. U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes joined Mills and the Cornwall Consildated School students for a presentation of their research.
Since then, Mills has guided the students in their quest to learn more about Starr’s story. Starr was a Revolutionary War soldier who joined the Continental Army to earn enough money to buy his own freedom, receiving the Badge of Merit in the process. The stories of his descendents’ services are equally worthy of their own books.
In recognition of Mills and the students’ work, First Selectman Gordon Ridgway proclaimed Feb. 8 as Robin Starr Day.
Preregistration is required for the event at the Cornwall Historical Society. To learn more about Mills’ work, visit
alexbreanne.org.
John Mills speaking at Quinnipiac University.Courtesy the Alex Breanne Corporation
Stephanie Saetta runs Charlie Chicken Bones, a sanctuary in Salisbury.
Dogs have been at the center of Saetta’s life since childhood. She remembers going to the library to research different breeds and trying to convince her parents the family needed a dog. She had her heart set on an Irish Wolfhound, but she was more than happy when her mom brought home a West Highland terrier.
After college, she adopted Charlie as a puppy from a rescue on Long Island. He was a hound-shepherd-Rottweiler mix who suffered from intense seizures. Some veterinarians recommended euthanasia, but Saetta wasn’t ready to give up on him.
When Charlie would have an episode, she would sit with him, nose to nose, talking him through it. She learned to look for the moment he began to come around — when he could smell her again and his tail started to wag.
“You only get one or two of these soul connection dogs, so I do this in his honor,” Saetta said. “I like to think that all the dogs that come through are going to have that person that they connect with just the same.”
Through a network of women working to rescue animals in Texas, she learned about the desperate situations facing many dogs.
With limited space, some public pounds euthanize even healthy animals to make room. Limited access to veterinary care leaves sick dogs or unvaccinated puppies especially vulnerable.
Saetta saw that reality firsthand with a puppy named Gus, a Labrador mix she fostered who has since been adopted. Gus and his sisters had been dumped beside a road, where they were living under an abandoned car. People would leave food for them, but no one would take them to the pound.
“Even the people who rescue animals down there were like, ‘sadly, the best place for them to be is on the side of the road,’” she said. “That’s safer. Someone might actually help them that way.”
Saetta knows that there are far more dogs than any one person can save, but she also knows that helping one dog means one fewer on the street.
Stephanie Saetta,with her rescue dog George and Blue (left), a shepherd mix awaiting his forever home.Madi Long
Charlie Chicken Bone Sanctuary operates entirely through foster homes, a model that Saetta believes is best for the dogs and the humans hoping to adopt them.
Rather than moving directly from a difficult environment into a permanent home, the dogs have a chance to settle into a quieter setting. They can learn what it’s like to live with a family, sleep somewhere comfortable and receive affection without fighting for attention. Fostering also allows the rescue to really get to know each dog.
“As fosters, we’re honest,” said Saetta. We’ll tell you everything that’s been bad, everything that’s been good. What their temperament is and how they’ve responded to all the things they’ve experienced.”
A successful adoption is not just about finding a dog a home; it’s about finding the right home where the dog and family can thrive together.
Saetta is looking for more people willing to open their homes to foster dogs. She understands that the thought of growing attached and eventually saying goodbye can feel daunting. But she sees that goodbye a little differently.
Fostering means being part of a dog’s journey, even if only for a short time. It gives dogs a safe place to rest, the chance to trust again and the love they have gone without for much of their lives. And when the time comes for them to leave, it is not really a loss. It is the reward of knowing they are moving on to a forever home.
Blue, Saetta’s current foster, is hoping to find his perfect home.
Blue, a 7 year-old Shepard mix, is waiting for his forever home. Madi Long
Now around 7 years old, Blue spent most of his life wandering the streets of Texas. People sometimes left food out for him, but his mangy, dirty coat kept them from stopping to pet him. Today, he has a chance to experience something different.
Blue is still waiting for his forever home. Saetta believes he would do best as the only dog in a household or alongside another senior dog. He will need someone willing to continue working with him on his training and understand that a dog with his history needs patience.
But what he gives in return is a whole lot of love.
“He’s so enthusiastic, he’s so excited for life, he’s so friendly, and he’s got such a good heart, and he loves to cuddle,” Saetta said. “He’s a good, good, good dog.”
For more information on adopting Blue or how to foster, visit ccbsanctuary.org.
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